Dead Space: Fall of Tera
by M.T Midknight
Summary: Tera 1, the farthest colony from earth, sets on a moon too small to crack. Tera is where miners do hard work while explores, researchers, and Unitolegestis rub elbows. Now a young man looking for a place in life and a man that looks to get back the life he ran from must fight through hoards of Necromorphs that now tear down Tera around them and stop not one but two markers... OCs
1. Chapter 1

Dead Space: Fall of Tera

**I do not have rights to all charters, creatures, stories, plots, or anything to do with Dead Space or that of the Dead Space franchise. I do clam the original charters, creatures, story and plot in this fan fiction, but EA can have Gravball. This is my first fanfic (that I've put up on a site). It feels slow at first to me, but the ball gets rolling… R&R plz**

Ch.1

"Tera 1 the farthest point away from earth that man has reached. Mark, you really know how to get away." Dona's angry voice spoke over his head set.

"Dona, I had to leave, think things over for a while." Mark opened the engine panel on the drill.

"You've been _thinking things over_ for two years. You were afraid and wanted out… Mark, they wanted me to pronounce you dead." Dona voice broke a little. Mark turned away from the now exposed engine and let a holographic video display of her appeared in front of him. She was a beautiful woman, with slightly curly auburn hair. Big hazel eyes showed every little emotion under her angered exterior.

Mark looked around some and let his helmet fold away reviling his face. Green eyes showed deep sadness that would never be dug up. Shaggy untamed brown hair and a full beard with some gray revealed a man that didn't really live any more, only drifting on a tiny bet of faith that he hopes well keep him sane. "I am sorry Dona… I… I just couldn't… I couldn't see you like that. I was barely holding together when they said we couldn't…."

"Have a son." Dona looked away just for a second.

"And then we got pregnant only to lose him…. Dona, I wasn't right. I should have stayed… I found faith out here with the church and I know how you are about faith." He watched a tear fall down her face. "I'll be up to see you after my shift down here. I live in D-Zone, living quarters B, my room's AA20."

She nodded, "OK, I'll go there when we dock. How long are you going to be?"

"At least another half hour to an hour, we've got a laser drill down. There's some food in the freg- No go to the place just across from the living quarters tell the cook I sent you." Mark's helmet fold back out the five slots glowed a sea blue.

"I'll see you later and Mark… I don't blame you." She ended the call.

Mark sighed and went back to working on the engine. As he worked a sound made him look away, but nothing was there. He looked down as his hand and it shook some. He gripped it and got back to work.

* * *

Jace sat with his mom waiting for the shuttle to dock. People wander around talking and some sat waiting like him. His mom was to his right as was the bay door that his dad was to arrive at. She was blond, blue eyes, and didn't look much older than him. She played with her hands, griping them in each other, play war with her thumbs or tapping her nail together.

"You really that excited mom? He's only been gone for a week." Jace smiled and putted her shoulder.

"Yeah, I missed him and I love your father a lot." She kept her eyes on the door.

Jace looked to the communicator on his wrist and saw a flashing light. He waved his hand and a holographic text message hovered over the device.

_'Hey, you see your dad yet? Sam and Tom want to head to the place over in D-Zone._

_-Cody H.'_

Jace wave his hand and a 25th century equivalent to a QWERTY keyboard hologram appeared as he typed his reply. He then looked back over to the bay door as a woman's voice announced the docking to of the shuttles. Both he and his mom stood as the door opened. Many people started walking out, most being greeted by friends and family. Jace looked over at another bay door as three full armored solders stepped out. He couldn't help but noticed that on their blue armor was the twisting symbol for Unitology. They walked further out and then two more stepped out, one caring a large white box with the symbol on it as well.

"Wander what the church got." Jace spoke under his breath.

"Jone, honey!" Jace looked back to see his mom run like a little girl and hug his dad. Jone was a type of physicist that helped salvage crews and rescue operations determine were an object in space could be. Normally he would just stay at home and work from files the client sent him or go to the colony's observation center, but the church gave him a big offer that could help Jace through school. They had a terrorist attack at a space station called the Sprawl. Jace's dad was the best at his job and the church wanted the best to get back whatever it was they lost.

"Hey, Jace you went black this time with your hair." His dad grabbed and squeezed him. Jace was normally a dark blond but would dye his hair. At the present he had it spiked and a midnight black color.

"Yeah I thought it looked better with my Gravball uniform." Jace once again found himself watching the solders as they left. Something just felt wrong he couldn't tell what it was, but there was this new itch in the back of his mind. "Oh, speaking of Gravball, I got to go. Cody said her and the guys wanted to hang out. I think we'll end up practicing."

"OK, just tell us when you get home." His mom waved as he ran off. Jace got into an elevator that would take to the monorail. A woman with curly brown hair wearing a black civilian RIG and a black skirt stepped in with him. As the elevator moved he got another itch in the back of his mind… He wasn't safe.

Before he knew it they were falling and the power in the elevator seemed to be off. Jace grabbed the bar running along the wall. He saw the woman was trying her best to hold onto a groove in the floor. Jace reached out to her she gripped his hand and he pulled her to him. As they gained speed they started to float up, like they were weightless. Jace could feel the end was coming and when they hit the ground…. He didn't want to think about it, and then with a sudden jolt the elevator slowed. They hit the floor and the lights came flicking back on. Their ride from hell came to an end. Jace got to his knees and touched his forehead and felt wet. Looking at his hand he saw blood. The woman moved some and he helped her up. Blood was flowing out from a cut on her nose and her nose itself.

"Ahh- it hurts. Ahh-" Tears streamed down her face.

"Hold on. You've broken your nose." He grabbed a handkerchief out of his back pocket and placed it gently over it. "Here hold this. I'm going to call for help OK."

He touched his wrist and a call list came up, "Call emergency services."

A display showed him it was trying to connect and then a woman's voice spoke, "Tera emergency services, state your emergency."

"We've had a malfunction in the elevator, it fell and I have a women here with a broken nose." Jace stood.

"OK, I've got your RIG biology now. I must inform you that we just had a power surge throw the system and it may have been what caused the malfunction. We have unites spread thin if you can try and get out of the elevator and get to help. There is a clinic near you I'll try to stay- excuse me sir you have to wait, hold on. Sir you can't be back here sir. What- WWWWWAAAAAA!" The connection cut off.

"What just happened to her?" The woman asked as she used the handle to stand.

"I… Don't know." Jace looked around some, "But we have to get out of here."

"What about my nose?" She let the handkerchief away some and she was still bleeding.

"I've see people do this on my Gravball team, but we need to set your nose now or it could heal wrong." Jace moved her over to a core and took the handkerchief. "Now this is going to hurt, I'm not lying. My friend Tom's the biggest guy I know and he screamed like a baby."

"OK, I'm ready." Jace put the tips of his fingers on the side of her nose and pushed. A small pop sounded as she started to scream. Jace quickly put his pinkies up her nose to strain it out. He then did has best to clean it out.

"All right, now that was new for the both of us." Jace wiped his hands on the handkerchief and handed it back to her. He looked to the door and griped it to try and pry it open.

"You play Graveball? I know you; you're Jace Clark the guy everyone says should try out for a school team." She walked over to the door and tried her best to help with one arm.

"Yeah, I would but I don't have the money to leave this rock. Give me your shoe." Jace point to the woman's heals. She put her hand on his shoulder as she took of both heals and handed one to him. Jace used it as a wedge and got the door open enough to get his hands were he could put it open.

"He's smart, plays Gravball and a part time doctor that's what I'll put in the article." She smiled.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm Amanda with Far Away Hard Core; I came here today to do a story on you." Amanda offered her free hand to shake. Jace shook it but jumped at a few loud popping sounds and hit against the outer door. "What was that?"

Jace pushed the door open and a man fall inside a dark bloody hole in his head. The both of them looked up to see a man with a pulse pistol pointed at his own head.

"It's here, the end is here. Now I can ascend, now I can see my little girl again." The man looked insane with blood shot eyes, naked and blood all over him.

"Whoa, man. What's up, the end isn't now what you talking about?" Jace tried to talk the man down.

"You can't stop it. You can only feed it. No one can stop it."

"What?" Amanda asked comely.

"Convergence." He pulled the trigger and blood exploded from his head. Both Jace and Amanda stood in shock and then things started to click one by one. Jace could see that the man had shot and killed a good ten, fifteen people before he pulled the trigger on himself. As they began to leave the elevator they could hear people screaming and running away.

Amanda thought out loud, "There could be more of these guys going around shooting people. They could have been planning it and caused the power surge."

"Well we still need to get to that clinic. We should be safe there." Amanda nodded and ran ahead some. Jace stopped at the man's body and knelt down. He grabbed the gun. Looking closer now he could see that most of the blood on the man came from cuts on the man's skin. Strange symbols all over him, there were others that were healed, now scars. He stood and found himself feeling a little sorry for him. Whatever push so hard in a man's mind to make him do something like that to himself must have been awful.

"Hey, Jace come on." Amanda waved him over.

He walked over to her and they both made their way to the clinic just around the corner. As they walked Jace felt the itch again. He turned to see one of the people shot slowly get up. Amanda stopped and turned too. She started to move to help but Jace stopped her with his hand. The woman twitched and began to twist. Her stomach ripped open and two small arms hang out gripping and the air. Her own arms grow in length and then long spicks exploded forth from the palms of her hands. Her mouth split down the bottom jaw and jagged teeth lined her gums. They both looked on in horror as more body's started to do the same.

Jace didn't think he just started firing….


	2. Chapter 2

Ch.2

Mark looked away from his work on the drill engine as he once again heard something. He stepped back some. He looked down the long mine tunnel into its gloom. The high gray walls made the place feel as if it was trying to swallow you whole. More sounds down a few feet seemed like something worth investigating. Mark walked in the direction of the sound, wrench in hand. As he moved the sea blue light of his helmet crept along beyond him. The sound got louder as he got closer to its source. Finally he found it as the light caught something wet dripping down. He knelt down to look at it closer. He began to see the thickness and the dark coloring. He dipped a fingertip in it and rubbed it around. It was grainy and thicker then he thought.

"Hey, Mark." Mark jumped as he turned to see a fellow worker.

"Ah shit, Al you scared me half to death." Mark caught his breath.

"Sorry man, ha ha ha. I came down here to tell you we're shutting down the mine, we had some kind of power surge. The whole colony got hit. I don't want any one down here if the vents go off." Al said this casually.

"Alright, let me close up the engine panel on this drill and we can head up together." Mark walked past him.

"OK, Sounds-" Suddenly something came down from the roof of the tunnel. Whatever it was seemed to glide down and hit Al. Mark watched as it stabbed a long spike into Al's head and Al started to scream as his face split open and spines sprouted from his shoulders. His hands grew in size and claws replaced his fingers. Al's whole head was something like a mouth with crooked spike like teeth. The thing before pulled its spike away and the monster that was Al charged at Mark. Mark could barely believe his eyes as it got closer. He raised the wrench above his head and brought it down hard. A burst of blood came from the things head. Mark hit again and again, until it hit back and threw him down the tunnel. He lost his wrench and had no way to defend himself. He scrambled back with his hands watching as it got ever closer. He backed into his tool box which he knocked open and searched through it as fast as humanly possible. Finally, Mark just threw it at the thing hitting it in the leg. It fell but the spines coming out of its shoulders grew and caught it. Mark watched knowing somehow this was the end, then he saw it. Not but few feet away was a mining pick! He lunged forward and grabbed it just as the monster reached out for him. He pushed the button on it and a green light glowed on the underside of the curved blade. Mark swung with it cutting off one of its arms. The sound of plasma cutting through flesh was followed by an inhuman scream of pain. Mark did his best to get up and start running away but the other thing; the gliding thing had gotten behind him and was adamant in changing him into whatever Al was now. It jumped up and tried to stab its spike into his head, but Mark grabbed it and held it back. He began stabbing the pick into its side. He got his foot on what he thought might be its tail and used his hands to pry it away from him. As it now lay on the ground he brought up his foot and brought it back down hard. Over and over Mark stomped on the creature beneath him tell it finally stopped moving. He looked back at the Al monster that was now on its feet. Mark ran for the lift and hit the open button hard. The doors slid open and he jumped inside. The doors stated to close but the monster got its head and remaining spine inside. Mark kicked at it. As the lift moved up so did the thing, till it was smashed by the walls of the shaft.

Mark kicked the head and other body parts away and he stayed on the far wall of the lift. He breathed heavy, adrenaline pumping through him, his heart racing. A sound in his helmet told him he had a call. He answered it and Dona's voice greeted him.

"Mark! You picked up. There's something going on. I don't know what to do. These people are going around shooting and some wired things are happening. Where are you?" She sounded frantic.

"Dona calm down. I'm in the lift and I'm coming to get you. Tell me where you are." Mark's fear for his own life left him.

"I'm in… I was on the way to your place and got caught somewhere in D-Zone. Mark I found a place to hide but I don't know if I'll be safe for long." She started to cry.

"Dona, honey, just stay there and try to stay quite. The mine opens into C-Zone. I'm only one Zone over, I can get to you. Just stay put and don't draw any attention to yourself." Mark heard the lift coming to a stop.

"OK, I'll try. Just hurry please." The connection was lost.

"Dona! Hun, Dona! Dona sweetie, Dona!" The Door opened and before him stood three creatures much like the Al monster. Mark charged the closest one and cut off one of its arms and then its head. A second one tried to get at him but he saw it coming and he punched it away. The headless one kept coming for him. Mark couldn't understand these things. He cut into its side and pulled out. Its insides fell to the floor, but it still wouldn't go down. The last one was on him before he knew it, from behind it tried stabbing him with spikes coming from what looked like the palms of its hands. Mark struggled with it and got a hold of it by the neck and pulled with all his weight flipping it over him and into the headless one. The second one came once more. This time Mark used kinesis to throw the headless one's arm at it and pinned it to the far wall. It struggled to get off with no luck. The two left got up and headed for him. Mark stood his ground and swung wide cutting off both arms and the head of the third one. Finally it looked like one may have died. The headless one stopped his jeers before they started. He stopped the remaining spike by caching it with his free hand and cut it off with ease. Mark then kicked it down and stomped on it a few times. He looked at it for a while as it twitched.

Taking a breath he looked over to the one pinned to the wall. It was still moving, trying with everything it had to get him. He walked to a work bench near him and grabbed a plasma cutter. The devise unfolded and lit up. He aimed it at the thing and fired. A hot line of light blue plasma cut one arm off. Mark aimed again and cut off the other. He hit a switch that flipped the cutting end horizontally and cut off both legs. The thing stopped moving and slowly died. He looked back to the work bench and grabbed a few plasma clips, a spare plasma cutter and Med Pack.

He tried to contact Dona once more, "Dona… Can you hear me? Dona, I'm coming to get you. Just hold on."

He walked through a door to his right and was now in a long hall way. As he moved lights flickered and sounds came from all around him, bangs and scrapes, even screaming. He looked back for a second thinking something was behind him, nothing. He got to the end of the hall and the door opened to a true sight of horror.

People were running for their lives form more monsters. Mark watched as a man was ripped in half and a mother got stabbed by one of the gliding things and changed right in front of her children, and then maimed them without thought. Blood was everywhere, bits of meat flung about. Mark saw a girl maybe 16 trying her best to fight one of the things away. He ran over and tackled it out of the away. It hit a bench and stumbled over. Mark shot the plasma cutter and cut off the top part of its head.

He looked to the girl, "Come on we have to go. Fallow me."

As he helped her up he watched her eyes go from afraid to cold and glossy. He looked down at her stomach and through it was a spike. Soon another spike came through her chest and she was pulled apart. Now one of the monsters stood in front of him. He swung the mine pick and cut part of its jaw off then fired a few times into both legs. Mark backed away and shot once more splitting its head length ways. He moved through the crowd to a door on the far side. It led to a path that would take him to a monorail that only miners could use, and it was the fastest way to D-Zone. The monster that he had knocked over was now up and coming for him. He couldn't waste time now so he sped up and made it to the door. As it opened the monster hit the armor on his shoulder and pushed him through. He flipped over as the creature came through after him and fired at the doors control panel. It sparked and the door slammed shut on his attacker. Its shoulder and spiked arm fell in front of him. Mark stood not sure what to think of the events going on, on the other side of the door. He turned and made his way down the corridor and prayed that he would get to Dona in time…

* * *

Jace and Amanda now sat in a closet looking at each other unable to speak out of fear that one of the things might hear them. Amanda's nose had stopped bleeding and so did the cut on Jace's head, but that was just as lucky as they could get. Jace had shot some of the things but they wouldn't stop coming so they both ran fast enough to get to C-Zone. Not long after that, they ran into more monsters and then decided the best thing was to hide. Jace had found a way to check the number of bullets left in the pulse pistol and the small holographic display said they had only five left. Amanda gazed blankly at the floor and Jace checked out the gun.

"Do you know what you're doing with that?" Amanda spoke harshly.

"Yeah, a little, I tried out for the marines just last week. I was going to get the EarthGov to pay for my school, but you see how that's going." Jace looked at her when he talked.

"How old are you? Cause you're way to mature for some college boy." She moved her knees closer to her chest.

"24 this Friday. My mom and dad were going to-" Jace stood up and touched his wrist to try and call someone, "Shit my parents."

"Where were they when this started?" Amanda got up too.

"I left them at the docking bay. I think they were heading home. Fuck!" He couldn't get a line to them. He tried again.

"I'm sure they're fine. They were smart and grabbed a shuttle and got away." Amanda put her hand on his shoulder.

"But… what if they didn't? I got to go find them." He walked to the door but was stopped by a thud outside. Jace put his finger over his mouth to hush Amanda as he moved to look out the door. He turned the handle slowly and began to open it just a crack.

"AAAGGGRRRRAAAA!" A spike punched throw the small opening and the door was ripped away from its hinges. A monster now stood in its place only a few feet from Jace. It ran at him and he fired a shot that hit it in the eye making it spin out of the closet into the business they were at. Jace fearlessly charged it and kicked its leg making it fall. He looked back and Amanda ran by. She got out the door of the business and was met by the sight of more monstrous creatures. Jace ran and grabbed her by the arm and they both ran. Jace blindly shot back at the things twice not knowing if he'd hit them. They turned a corner to be met by more creatures. They halted and raced the opposite direction. Amanda could feel the muscle in her legs start to burn, but the fight to survive was much stronger than exhaustion. They made it to a fork with tree different doors. Jace pressed the release on the one in the middle but the sound of a malfunction made him hit the door. Amanda looked back at the hoard now coming for them. Jace looked down at the guns ammo, the display said two…

"Amanda! Do you want to die?" Jace looked at her face that was now clinched in fear.

"What!?" She looked at the gun and could see the two floating in its light blue holographic box. She knew what he was asking and shook her head, "Hell, no."

"Good!" Jace smiled and aimed the gun at the closest monster. He fired and blasted off its hand and spike. As he set up to fire one more time, the door to left opened. They both looked to see five sea blue lit up lines. Through the door walked out a miner in a mining RIG. He raised up two plasma cutters and fired. Limbs flow off two or three at a time. He then pointed to the door that he came through and they got the hint. Jace pushed Amanda through and followed. The miner swung one plasma cutter down and smashed one of the things heads open. Another tried to get an upper hand and was grabbed and thrown into a wall. The miner walked backwards through the door firing a few shots at the ever growing hoard. He hit the control and the door closed.

"Thank you, thank you sooo much. You saved our lives." Amanda was on the verge of tears.

"I wasn't planning on it but I guess I did." He moved to Jace and took his gun.

"Hey." Jace grabbed at it but was slammed against the wall.

"Don't!...Jump at me." Jace nodded realizing that they all were a little jumpy, "OK, now take this it works better." He handed him a plasma cutter.

"Can it kill those things?" Jace examined it closer and pushed the second trigger which moved the cutting end horizontally.

"Yeah, you just have to cut them into pieces." The miner messed with the pulse pistol.

"You mean dismember them." Amanda cringed.

"If you want to put it bluntly." The miner hit the gun and it started to make a buzzing sound. He walked to the door and looked back at the both of them.

"You're not… There's only one bullet in that." Jace told him.

"I don't need the bullet, just the energy in the core." He opened the door and one of the things was standing right there. He pulled the trigger and the gun started to ring he then threw the gun out. Amanda closed the door just as the thing started to move for him. The miner took a few steps back and waited. A loud bang and smoke seeping in told them what he was doing. He pointed to the controls and Amanda reluctantly opened the door. As the smoke cleared they could see bits of monster and blood splattered on the walls. The miner walked out and started to mess with the door they were trying to open before.

"It doesn't work. The power surge must have knocked it out." Jace walked in behind him.

"It wouldn't open even if it did work. It's set to RIG biology, only the mine staff can go in here." The miner kept working.

Amanda stepped on the hot floor, "Ah, Fuck." She fell back and Jace ran over to help her.

"You shouldn't be running around without shoes." The miner opened the control panel.

"You try running for your life in two inch heels." Amanda scolded.

"What's on the other side of the door?" Jace helped her up.

"Miner's monorail, it connects the mine to D-Zone." Sparks flew out as he worked on wires.

"Why's it so far from the mine itself?" Jace asked knowing the mine was on the other side of C-Zone.

The miner didn't say anything till the door opened, "There is a station near the mine, but it was a lot worse than out here. If you want to come with me don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way."

Jace helped Amanda by carrying her over the hot floor. The miner walked over to a work bench and grabbed what looked like clips for the plasma cutter. Jace set Amanda down on a box and went to look for another plasma cutter for her. He couldn't find one, but he did find a first aid kit. He took it over to work on her foot and nose. The miner let his helmet fold away to show his face. He was a guy close to his dad's age but looked like he worked too hard. His shaggy hair and beard made Jace think of a wild man.

"What's your name?" Jace finished fixing up Amanda and he let her work on the cut on his head.

"Mark."

"Well, Markus are you going to just leave the door open and where's the rail car?" Amanda obviously didn't like him much.

"It's just Mark and we won't be here long enough for anything to happen. This is an emergency station so the car is at one of the main stations." Mark used a panel to call the car.

"Dose this go to A-Zone?" Jace walked over to him.

"Sorry kid, it goes from the mine here in the C-Zone and to the miners living quarters in D-Zone." As Mark finished they could hear a hum that signified a car was coming.

"Damn it! Look man I got to get to my parents. They live in the A-Zone." Jace spoke frantically.

"Well I have to find my wife, kid." The rail car pulled up and Mark stepped in.

"Let's go with him Jace. Sure he's an ass, but he seems to know what he's doing." Amanda got eye contact with him.

Jace sighed and thought, "D-Zone, Cody and the guys are there."

"OK, now let's go kid." Mark waved the both of them in. The car started moving and they sat quietly. Jace messed with his plasma cutter, learning it the best he could. Mark looked to Amanda. He took the mine pick and showed her how to use it. As the car shook and sounds came from outside they all knew it wouldn't be long before she had to…


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.3

Mark knew he shouldn't have helped the kid and the lady, but something made him. As he walked the car looking for what could have shook it, he began to think of how much they'd be slowing him down. He could just keep going before not having to watch out for someone else. His mind strayed as images of the girl at the mine station swelled up. Maybe it was his guilt for not saving her that made him do it?

His communicator cracked on, "M-k- I'm- Mark-"

"Dona!" He tried to strengthen the connection.

"Mark- I'm- Mark I'm so scared. Please, Mark you have to save me." The sound of fear in her voice made him sick.

"Dona, I'm coming baby, I'm going to save you." Suddenly as Mark looked out a window he saw the girl. Her eye's cold and glossed just as if she was standing behind him. He turned and no one was there.

"Please save me." The connection cut off. Mark stared at where he saw the girl not sure if he really saw anything. His hand shook he stopped it by grabbing it with his other hand and rubbing. He moved down the car to reach the others. They were talking about something. He didn't see what talking about anything at this point was good for.

"So you were just going to leave your three best friends out to dry." Amanda sounded harsh.

"No, I just was thinking about my family first. If you had family in the middle of this shit wouldn't you want to save them first?" Jace was toying with some air tanks.

"Kids got a point. Family comes first, shit with everyone else. Don't play with those. If you hit them wrong they could blow up in your face." Mark walked to the front of the car. Jace set down the air tank carefully.

"Then why'd you save us?" Amanda spoke low.

Mark looked at her then to the window and leaned on the operations console, "Like I said I didn't plan on it."

Amanda started to smart off but once again the car shook this time hard and banging came from overhead as if something was walking. Mark's helmet unfolded and he readied his plasma cutter. Jace pulled Amanda over behind him and aimed up at the ceiling. The bangs got louder as they got closer. Jace started to sweat as his heart beat faster. Then it stopped… everything was still.

"Maybe it-" A window smashed in and a new monster scrambled to get on its feet or in this case its hands. It had no legs just a long tall that looked much like a spine with a barb on the end. Its muscular arms had hands with hooked claws for finger tips. Its head was human but not its mouth which split from ear to ear with long jagged teeth. Jace fired at it, but the thing used it's tall to leap onto the wall and miss the plasma by inches. Now it scrambled along the wall screeching horribly. Jace fired again and hit it in the shoulder making it fall. It screeched at him angrily, flipped over and tried to leap again. Mark fired and hit it hard enough to make it stop in midair. A cut down its jaw into its throat and chest seeped blood that was much too thick for any living creature. Mark and Jace fired may shots. Some hit others miss. Some fingers flow off, a part of its head, and even a hand. Jace stepped to it and fired more. Bits of the leaping thing came off. Jace didn't look like himself more like someone who had a grudge. The thing didn't move till the sound of an empty clip gave it a chance to leap to the ceiling. It held on with one hand and whipped its tail at Jace who hit the container of air tanks. The RIG light on his back dropped two bars. Mark got to him and pulled him away from the creature. It jumped down and landed behind him he aimed the cutter and fired into its shoulder again. Amanda cut at its tall and it went for her. Mark raised a foot and stomped down on its back. Jace got up holding his side and fired at the things head cutting it off. Finally it stopped moving. They all sat for a while to catch their breath. Mark grabbed its body by the tail and started to drag it down the car. Jace stepped up onto the seat to let him by. When he got to the broken window he lifted it up and out.

Mark sat down, "Shit."

"It took all three of us to kill that thing. How the hell did you kill so may in that hall?" Amanda slid down and sat on the floor.

"They didn't move that fast and they didn't crawl on the walls." Mark looked to Jace. "You, OK kid?"

"Yeah just bruised my ribs, I hope." Both he and Amanda started to breath hard.

"I feel light headed." Amanda started to drift in and out of consciousness.

"What?" Jace felt similar.

Mark stood and shook Jace and looked to the window. He looked on his chest computer. A holographic display appeared showing the O2 leaves where dropping. Mark grabbed the air tanks and set them next to Jace. He moved him over and looked at his civilian RIG. He found a port and attached the one of the tanks. He walked over to Amanda and did the same. He grabbed the boxes the tanks were in and looked through.

"Damn it Al I told you to put the masks and tanks together." Mark took one free tank and smashed the nozzle open. O2 seeped out and he laid Jace down setting the take close to his mouth. He smashed another but all the O2 came out at once. He ran to the back of the car and opened the first ad box inside were four breathing masks. He grabbed two and ran back. He put one on Amanda thinking Jace would fine with the little O2 he was getting. After he secured the line to her RIG he released the pressure and ran over to Jace to secure his mask line. Quickly he got the mask on him. He looked over to Amanda who was starting to get up. He waited for Jace to stir but nothing. He looked back at his RIG and released the pressure some more.

"Come on kid." Mark set still then moved him to his back. Mark put his hands together and slammed them into Jace's chest. Jace's eye whipped open and he coughed.

"You saved use again." Amanda said this in a whisper over the com in the mask.

"Yeah, I don't even know your names and I've become your guardian angel." Mark sat back.

"Jace- Chaul Chua! Jace Clark."

"Amanda, big guy and please don't stop saving us." She stood and checked on Jace.

As Mark sat there he wandered if the girl now staring at him in the window reflection behind them was the real guardian angel…

They came to a stop and the doors opened. Mark stepped out first with Jace and Amanda not far behind him. Looking around he could tell there was no atmosphere in the station. Jace and Amanda shivered at the cold. Mark hoped all of D-Zone wasn't like this and the air leak was in the monorail tunnel. The station was small and had only a few benches here and there. Nothing overly exciting on the walls except a safety guide about using miner RIGs. Mark walked to a store and messed with the console. Jace spotted a mark on the back of Mark's RIG.

"You a Unitologist?" Jace looked to see what he was doing.

"I guess. Just found my faith a few months ago. Not really a believer, but I…." He paused, "Needed something to hold onto."

"Better than the bottle." Amanda sat down close by.

"You mean drinking; I did that too, nearly killed myself over it." Mark sounded unfeeling.

"My dad did kill himself over it almost killed me and my mom." She didn't sound like she really cared about him. "My mom couldn't handle me on her own so she left me. I spent a few nights sleeping on the streets back on earth. I was put with a home till I grow too old and they kicked me out, worked to get where I am with nothing but the help of some friends."

"Earth born…" Jace stood next to her.

"You asked me if I would try and save my family if they were here. Well no cause they would have left me behind any way."

"Sorry." Jace looked down at the floor.

"OK now that we've had our shared feelings session for today. Get over here kid." Jace walked over to Mark who grabbed his hand and placed it on a scanner. "Good, now if we come across another store we can get you something stronger than that civilian RIG."

Amanda walked over and did the same, "Why can't we get one from here?"

"It's damaged. The unit to build the suit doesn't have the power it needs" A beep came from Mark's RIG. He was running low on O2. They all moved to the door, but Mark stopped and handed Jace a few plasma clips. After he loaded one into the cutter they moved through the door as it opened. The station went directly into living quarters A. A long hall with doors on either side now set before them. As they walked the eerie silence of no atmosphere set in. Every step Mark took was a low thud to all of them and their own breathing was the loudest thing they could hear. Jace could feel his senses heightened to compensate for the loss of hearing. They made it to a corner and turned left. Amanda saw a shadow move so she looked back. Down on the other end of the hall set on of the spiked palmed creatures sat with its back to them. She tapped Jace on the shoulder out of habit to stay quite. Mark grabbed Jace as he aimed to fire and pointed to a room with an open door. Jace could see more monsters setting around.

He and the others moved slowly to the door being sure not to be seen. But luck wasn't on their side. One of the things moved to see them and soon every creature knew they were there. Mark ran as did the others. One of the things jumped out in front and Mark took aim. One arm flew off and a leg. The cutter sounded faint in the airless hallway. Jace killed one and then another was on him. Amanda took the Mine pick and jabbed into its mouth with the cutting plasma off. She started to pull and with a few jerks the head came off with a part of the spine. Jace fired and cut off an arm and kicked the thing away. Mark made it to the door and was trying to override the lock down.

"Hurry!" Amanda turned on the plasma and the head slowly slid off just in time for her to use the pick to cut a thing's spike. Mark healed out his plasma cutter to her. She gladly took it and started firing kill one and cutting some arms and legs off. Jace stood in a door way and fired back at the creature nervously looking at the ammo display fearing he run out.

"There are two good things about this door being locked. There should be air out there." Mark sounded like he was having trouble breathing.

"Come on Mark you got to hang in there. What's number two?" Amanda looked away from the monsters for only a second.

"People can live on the other side." The door opened and with a whoosh of air sound came back to the world. The blasts of plasma, the sear of flesh and the frightening sound of creature crying for blood. Mark stumbled through and started work on closing the door. Jace stepped through and continued firing. Amanda ran out and ran to Mark grabbing a clip from his belt. After a quick reload she saw more monsters in this new wider area coming from their right. Jace stared to get overwhelmed as more things came and some of the leaping thing crawled on the walls. Mark started to get frustrated with the door controls. He stood and took Jace's cutter and fired at the top corners of the door then the control panel making the door fall into place. He handed the cutter back and took the pick form Amanda.

A leaping creature crawled down the wall closest to them. When it jumped Mark hooked into its chest and used its own momentum to throw it away. Amanda and Jace watched as a big bellied thing walked out into the open. Its deep roar shook them and the thin skin of its stomach seemed to move like it was alive. Amanda fired at it cutting off a spiked limb. Jace fired too gazing its side. Mark charged ahead into the crowd of monsters cutting limbs from bodies and ripping chunks of flesh away from bone with his free hand. He hit the big thing with his shoulder and pushed it back into other monsters but not before its stomach burst open and a sea of puss and small stick creature poured out onto him. They seemed to bite or scratch somehow at him as they swarmed. Mark struggled to get them off, hitting them away, smashing them with his back and the wall.

Amanda saw a fire extinguisher on a wall near Mark, "Mark come closer to us! Come on!"

As he did she took aim flipped the cutter horizontally and fired. The extinguisher exploded out cold gas and the small sticky things were frozen. Mark ran to a door close by and it opened for him he waved Jace and her over. The horde was getting too big to handle so they had to move. As they got into the room Jace saw it was a clothing store, with glass all around.

"Ah! My feet!" Amanda looked down to see her feet covered in blood, cuts all over and the pain hit her all at once. She fell over but Jace caught her.

Mark locked the door. "Jace set her down and find thick socks." Mark knelt down next to her.

"Shit! That hurts. How did I not feel this before?"

"You've been running on adrenaline." Mark got out the med pack and opened it with the mine pick.

"What are you doing?" Amanda winced as he poured a hot gel onto her feet.

"Helping." Mark told her as he took a sock from Jace and poured some of the gel into it.

"Is that stuff supposed to be used this way?" Jace asked as Mark put the sock onto Amanda's foot.

"I have no clue, but if a guy gets hurt down in the mine we would plug one of these into his RIG and he'd be fine." Mark took the last sock from Jace.

"Damn it, I like my feet. They were cute feet." Amanda watch him put the other sock on tears rolling down her face.

"Hey, you don't need to break down now. You're in shock." Mark let his helmet fold away, "Look you saved my life less than a second ago, now you are not going to let a stupid thing like a few cuts slow you down."

She nodded, "Yeah OK."

"Suck it up. Jace rub what's left on your side. I don't want to waste it." He threw it to him and scanned the store for a vender that could dispense new RIGs, but he found nothing. A thud on one of the glass walls told him they had to go. He grabbed a pair of boots on display and tossed them to Amanda. A crash and they weren't alone as he turned to look his helmet unfolded. He saw one of the creatures with a tail pick itself up and more spiked creatures followed. Mark readied for the attack as Jace helped Amanda to her newly fixed feet.

"Hey, you guys down in the clothing store." Mark's communicator squawked on, "Are you stupid?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ch.4

"Cody is that you?" Jace yelled at Mark.

"No I'm the fucking tooth fairy, of cores it's me." A girl's voice talked over Mark's communicator.

"We don't have time to talk now." Mark readied his pick for the leaping creature. It jumped at him and he got a good blow by stabbing it in the top of the head. He slammed it down and kicked it away. Amanda blasted a few monsters as they crawled in throw the broken glass.

A door opened behind Jace, "Get your asses moving. There's like a hundred Slashers out there and Leapers are crawling all over the place."

They all moved fast to get out. Jace stayed back to hold a few of the monsters off. Mark pulled him through and the door closed. They now stood in what the colonists called the Get Market; a street in a sense lined with shops that only low class colonists, teens and miners used. Most goods were cheap food and knock off brands and some were rumored to work in black market deals. It was the part of the colony no one wanted their kids at after dark. Now it looked like the nightmares many parents had of the place. Blood pooled in spots of the walk and was smeared on the walls. Jace could see hand prints that told the story of someone being dragged away. Mark patted him on the back and moved ahead.

"So you can see us…"

"Cody, yeah just look to your left." Mark did and saw a camera move like it was waving, "Hi there big guy."

"Where are you?" Mark stepped through it,

"The security office, her dad's the head of P-Sec in this zone. Is anyone with you?" Jace talked to the camera.

"Sam's with me, but he's not really all here, cause… Jace, Tom didn't make it." A light in Jace dimmed at the news of his friend's demise. "I'm sorry Jace I know you and him were good friends. I wasn't there when it happened, but Sam saw the whole thing and now he's locked up. Just sets on the floor next to me."

"Sorry Jace." Amanda didn't know what to do.

"How are you holding up?" Jace asked.

"I don't know Jace… I thought I'd brake down after I heard about it from Sam, but I just keep going. I almost feel guilty I'm not balling my eyes out." Cody sounded sentimental.

"I hate to be the bringer of more bad news but we still aren't safe here." Mark pushed Jace along and Amanda. The door to the store they were in flow across the walk, glass broke and out came the spiked monsters Cody called Slashers. "Cody can you lead us through the safest way to live quarters B?"

"Yeah, but it's not smart to head that way. The Ugly fucked that place up." Cody talked much like a young adult.

"The Ugly?" Amanda didn't like these monsters before they had names now she really didn't.

"Yeah, big ass thing with spikes all over it and puss. It's really an ugly thing. I'm glad I can just watch it on these monitors."

"What did this _Ugly_ do to the living quarters?" Marked was not happy, Jace could almost hear anger and fear in his voice.

"Wreaked it all to hell, the front door's gone, walls are missing, people got eaten and I can't see anything in there but the place across the street, a hall way and a closet." The sound of shuffling came from Cody's end.

"Damn…" Mark looked back for just long enough to see how far behind the Slashers were.

Amanda thought for a moment and got closer to Mark, "Hey Cody, have you seen anyone else running around trying to hide or get away?"

"Yeah, a few guys here and there but most are found by the Ugly, but there is this one lady that is like a hacking wiz. She punches through security doors like no tomorrow and she keeps away from the monsters pretty good." Cody sounded impressed.

"Does she have brown hair…Wavy? When she's scared she messes with a pendant around her neck." Mark jumped at the chance it could be Dona.

"Yeah why, you know her?"

"She's my wife." Mark pointed to Amanda and then to a monster getting too closes. She took this as a sine to kill it. She fired a few shots cutting off a leg. It fell but moved along the floor with the spikes coming from its hands.

"She's heading for the maintenance tunnels near the D-Zone church hall. I think she's trying to get to the monorail station." As Cody spoke Jace kill one Slasher by getting two good shots splitting its torso length ways. A light flashed on Mark's computer. "This should help you get to the maintenance tunnels. If you don't get slowed down too much you should beat her there."

Mark pulled up maps on the D-Zone. He loaded them into his RIG's navigations. They all ran for it as more and more Slashers, monsters, and killing things came for them. They had a long way to go to get to the first set of doors and those would only get them close to the tunnels. Jace shot back at one of the Leapers. It jumped and moved on the wall snapping its jaws. Mark knew that if any of the creatures got ahold on Amanda of Jace they would stand no chance of living. He was the only one with armor that could take a blow. Mark stopped and turned pick ready.

"Mark what are you doing?" Jace stopped and grabbed his arm.

"Helping…"

"He's giving us some time." Amanda pulled Jace away.

Mark stared down the horde now charging at him, "Cody get Jace's frequency and lead them to the tunnels. Make them find my wife."

"Sure thing big guy, one thing… What's your name?"

"I'll tell you when I get out of here." The first Slasher reached him. He ripped into it with his pick. Blood flowed out and Mark moved to the next monster in line. He didn't think as one after another fell, most getting back up. Soon he was swarmed, spikes, claws, teeth and anything that was made to rip flesh apart. As more tried to gut him Mark was slashed and bit, his armor giving little protection. He smash one or two with his boot, ripped an uncountable number of limbs away with his free hand, and cut off several heads.

As Mark made his charge he felt odd. I thought he'd be afraid, afraid that he'd die, but no. He didn't feel fear, angry or sad, in fact he felt at home in the mess of blood and guts. The screeching and the growls all seemed to fade as he looked to see a spike throw one side of his body. Maybe this is what excepting dead felt like. Then he saw her, the 16 year old girl, the one he couldn't save. She was just beyond the horde, her lips moving, saying something to him. He could hear just faintly a hush tone that made him strain to her it.

"I can't fall down." She said but that was the end of a speech, it felt like he missed some of it. Then he heard a new sound a loud sound that hurt. It hurt his throat because it was himself…

Screaming…

Jace and Amanda could see the door as it opened. Just a little more to go and they'd be in the tunnels. Jace told himself over and over that Mark was going to make it and if he didn't he would find his wife for him. Amanda fired back a few times not really hitting anything it just felt good to try. Even with Mark staying behind the horde of monsters didn't seem to thin. Jace ran through the door, Amanda on his heels, and looked back just as it closed.

"Cody! Open the door!" Jace slammed on it with his fist.

"I'm sorry he told me to." Cody was impressed by this stranger's willingness to die for people he didn't even know.

"We've got a chance now, a chance to get out of here. We get to the station wait for his wife; have her help us find your parents. We get on a shuttle and get out of here." Amanda put her hand on his back.

"Yeah that will be easy. Hi, we don't know you but your husband Mark. He saved our lives not once but three times, you four." He pointed to her feet, "And we just left him to die. Now will you help us find more possibly back stabbing strangers?"

"Jace you two need to get moving the horde outside that door is getting pretty big and I've seen enough of these things take a door down." Cody's voiced over the commentator.

"Whatever lets go." Jace pushed past Amanda and they walled down a narrow passage till they reached a later. Jace looked down into the darkness. Hissing could be heard as steam was released from vents. Jace stepped into the murky deeps of the maintenance tunnels. Now down the both of them were in a new world. Rusted pipes lined the walls as if they were what made them. Dull lights hung down from the ceiling some flickering on and off.

"OK, guys I can only see intersections down there, but I have a map with your RIG bios on marking were you are." Someone could be heard saying things in the room with Cody.

Is that Sam?" Jace asked moving forward.

"Yeah he keeps mumbling something about Tom."

"OK?" Jace stopped as a vent spite steam for a minute or two. As they moved on Jace began to think to himself about what to do if they met anther monster. Neither of them had the armor Mark did to protect them and only one spare clip for the both of them. Mark stayed behind with most of the plasma clip. They weren't going to last in a fight.

"Cody how are you and Sam planning to get out of here?" He asked

"Well the P-Sec offices are all canted with this cart system, like sideways elevators. We were going to head for the P-Sec shuttle bay in A-Zone and hope one of the gun ships my dad taught me to use is there. Now we watch things up in the safety of the safe room tell it looks like a good time to make a brake for it. Now I think about it you really can't call running down the hall and into the moving armored box a _brake for it_. So I wanted to try and help people while we're chilling. I would love to just have them come here but must ways are blocked or full of gore fest. OH SHIT!" Cody scared the both of them.

"What?" Amanda asked in a shaky voice.

"Not good. I was going to tell you that as long as you avoid the Pukers down there you'd be fine."

"Please tell me why you name one of these things Pukers." Amanda cringed.

"They puke acid on you and it's a lot grosser then it sounds, but that's not the big problem the door behind you just open." Cody told them as it sounded like she was hitting many different buttons.

"How? Close it." Jace looked back.

"I don't know it just opened. No hack detected or power flux, it just opened. Hold on, it's closed now. This shit is weirding me out." Cody was genuinely confused.

Both Amanda and Jace watched the darkness. Soon a loud bang made them jump. More sounds and Jace got ready to run. Then one last loud thud was followed by a low sound like a voice

"I can't fall…"


End file.
